The Mediator
by FinchelFeelings
Summary: AU "You see, I'm special. And not just because of my spectacular voice but because I have what some people would call a sixth sense. Long story short- I can see ghosts." Finchel fanfic based off The Mediator series
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello everyone! First off, this is not a new story. I had it posted a while ago but I deleted it after Cory's death and hadn't reposted it since then. At the time it just seemed too morbid to write about a ghost Finn when Finn was actually dead, but now I kind of think it's almost...comforting? It's definitely AU but this is a happy story and I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I have writing it. I've made some edits and changes from my first time posting it but I hope you will like it! Thank you x

(f&r) (f&r) (f&r)

How is it that everyday I seem to get farther away from my dreams? I used to live in Pennsylvania, which wasn't _too_ bad and it was decently close to New York- where I am determined to be living in two years. Ever since I watched my first Broadway show there when I was a little girl, I knew I was destined to make New York my home. But now here I am. In little old Lima, Ohio._**Lima,Ohio**__. _Where is that even on the map anyway? I haven't spoken to my daddy in weeks ever since he told me he got a job in Lima and that we were moving here. Don't they care about my future career? Being in Lima, Ohio will not help me get to Broadway; do they not understand? I huff madly as I carry my luggage out of the car trunk and drag it in to our new home. I have to admit that the new house is nice. It's gorgeous really- with Victorian style turrets and a widow's walk; it was the kind of house my fathers have always wished for.

"Rachel, darling," Papa says rushing to the doorway and grabbing the heavy luggage out of my hand. "What do you think? Beautiful, right? Did you know that this house was an old hotel built in 1851? Amazing right? They remodeled it a bit and made it very nice and comfortable to live in now so there's no need to worry about anything-" he rambles on but I feel my heart drop in my chest. I start sweating and panicking and my knees weaken because I really _really_ hate old buildings. I should probably explain why. You see, I'm special. And not just because of my spectacular voice but because I have what some people would call a sixth sense. Long story short, I can see ghosts. Now do you understand why I hate old buildings? Lots of older buildings have dead people hanging around and waiting for people like me to save them, but an old hotel built in 1851? That's basically a guarantee that a creepy old, dead man is waiting in there for me to fulfill his last wish or whatever in order to set him free to wherever the hell you go after you die. And I really was not in the mood to help out a ghost today.

"So are you excited sweetie?" Papa asks.

"For what?" I ask, but immediately regretting doing so because Papa's face falls and he frowns.

"Have you been listening to me?" he asks, sounding more sad than frustrated. "Are you excited to see your new room?"

"Oh yes, yes. Of-course papa." I reply faking a smile. "very excited." He leads me up the spiraling stair case and opens the door at the very end of the hallway. My room. I gasp as I enter the room. The walls are covered in pale, pastel flowers and gold rimmed mirrors, a vintage glass lamp hangs above my head, and dark wooden boards cover the floor. It was the loveliest room I've ever seen.

"So?" Papa asks excitedly. "Do you love it?" I turn around to tell him how much I adore it but before I can, I catch a quick glimpse of a very tall figure standing next to the large window. My smile fades away in to a frown as I stare at the tall figure who doesn't even seem to acknowledge my existence. I glance back at Papa, surprised to see him looking as though on the verge of tears.

"Oh, do you hate it?" he asks sadly. "We thought you'd love it and it might make up for all the trouble we've been causing you. We're really sorry, sweetie.." he mumbles.

"Oh, papa! No, I really love it! It's perfect! It's everything I've ever wished for. Please, believe me. I love it, I promise." I say reassuringly. He seems to be satisfied with my reply and smiles.

"You really should talk to daddy, Rach. He loves you and really misses singing with you every Friday," he says patting my shoulder.

"I know, Papa and I will. Just give me a couple of minutes to enjoy my new and amazing room okay?" I ask, emphasizing on the word amazing. He nods and places a light kiss on my cheek before walking out. The moment the door shuts close, I whip around to face the mysterious figure still standing there and gazing out the window.

"Who are you?" I ask. He doesn't respond or even look back. Who does he think he is? I sigh in annoyance. "Excuse me?" I ask stomping towards him. "I'm talking to you!" He quickly glances down at me in surprise. I place my hand on my hips and stand up tall. Ugh, could he please wipe that dopey expression off his face?

"You...you can see me?" he says in almost a whisper. I roll my eyes.

"Of-course I can see you. Am I not talking to you? So tell me, what's your name?" I say.

"Um, Finn Hudson," he says quickly. I take a quick look at him and my gosh, is he tall! I can't believe I didn't notice him the moment I walked in. I was probably too distracted by the Funny Girl poster hanging above the bed. But I also don't understand how I didn't see him immediately because he's really...attractive. Like super good looking actually. His dark, short hair perfectly fixed in to a nice, crisp end and his gorgeous hazel eyes staring down at me with such surprise. Did I mention that he has great bone structure? "How...how can you see...I.." he trails off nervously, too puzzled to finish a proper sentence.  
>"I'm what people call a Mediator," I answer for him. "I can see dead people, like you. And I help people like you to move on to your after life or something. I don't know yet because I'm not dead," I say with a laugh. He doesn't laugh though and gives me a very strange look. I sigh. "My name is Rachel Berry. I'm sixteen and I'll be starting my junior year in high school this year. I'm an amazing singer and I'm hoping to be on Broadway someday. It's nice to meet you," I say sticking my hand out for him to shake. He doesn't take it and instead just stares at me, his expression rather unreadable. It seemed to be a very confusing mix of emotions. "Please just shake my hand," I beg. He licks his lips (which was kind of hot?) and sticks out his shaking hand, slowly reaching out for my own. He gasps as soon as we touch, which was expected considering he probably hasn't touched anyone in many many years. I shake it firmly and let go. He stares dumbly at his hands even after I let it go and keeps opening his mouth as if to say something, only to close it a moment later.<p>

"Now Finn Hudson, I understand that this is a lot for you to take in in such a short amount of time but I really need to go talk to my daddy and practice singing _Don't Rain on My Parade _for the 2375th time so if you could please just tell me the reason you're still stuck hanging around on Earth and let me help you that would be greatly appreciated," I say with my signature bright smile. Now I know that his problem might not be something I can fix in less than a minute but sometimes they really are that simple. One old man just wanted a hug before he died and once I was able to give him that, he faded away in to thin air and I never saw him again. Of course it's not always like that. One lady wanted me to find her husband who lived somewhere all the way in Florida and tell him how much she loved him. That crazy lady never stopped nagging me about it until I had to convince my dads that I really needed to go to Disneyland that spring break and preform in Florida when really my whole plan revolved around telling this man I've never even met before that his wife still loved him even before she died. Finally after that, the lady never bothered me again.

"I...I don't really understand," Finn responds. Well, that certainly isn't a response I was expecting.

"I mean like what do you want me to do for you? What's holding you back?" I ask again.

"That's the thing," he says shaking his head. "I don't know. I don't know what's holding me back, I don't know what I'm doing here."

"Oh...Um," I say, not quite sure how to reply. "Well, I hate to do this but then I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I live here now and I can't have a dead guy hanging out in my bedroom. So I'm genuinely sorry but you'll have to move out, alright? I'm going to leave now but when I come back I expect you to be gone." And with that, I walked out the doors.

(f&r) (f&r) (f&r)

That's it for chapter one but I've already gotten the next several chapters written so they'll hopefully be coming in pretty quickly! I will be posting the second chapter once I've gotten a certain amount of reviews that will let me know people are interested in the continuation of this story. So please review! It's the only way I can tell people are interested and it is also a huge motivation for me to keep writing :) I'm sorry I haven't updated "Let's Just Pretend" in a suuper long time, hopefully I will though.. Thank you lovelies!


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the reviews/favorites! Here is chapter two, please tell me your thoughts afterwards!

I staggered up the stairs after dinner and loudly hummed along to Journey's _Don't Stop Believing_ on my ipod. I was in a better mood now. Daddy and I finally talked again and he seemed more than delighted that I was willing to forgive him and we were finally able to have another of our famous singing dinner parties. What a wonderful day. That is until I remembered that a ghost could still be haunting my bedroom (ghosts are usually very stubborn). I let out an angry groan and sprinted up the stairs, preparing to yell at Flinn, or whatever him name was, to get the hell out of my bedroom. I opened the door in a rush and was delightfully surprised to find it empty. Relieved, I flopped down on my bed and couldn't help but smile a little. Maybe this year wouldn't be _too_ bad, I think. I change in to my pajamas and roll in to bed, adjusting myself to find a comfortable position in the unfamiliar setting. I close my eyes and start to doze off- but before I am completely asleep, I hear somebody humming to the tune of _Don't Stop Believing _outside my window.  
>But it was probably just my mind playing tricks on me.<p>

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Going to a new school was something that I especially hated about moving. Most people can't handle my high standards and they often get annoyed at my blunt responses, even though everybody secretly agrees and knows I'm just being honest. And yes, maybe sometimes I can be a bit selfish and I often feel the need to make sure that all the attention is on me, but is it really so bad to want to feel special?

William McKinley High School doesn't seem so different from my old school. Still the same football players and cheerleaders at the top of the social pyramid and all the other kids divided in to their tight little cliques. The chances of fitting in with this school seemed to slim down by the second. I walk in to the school right as a pretty Hispanic cheerleader in her bright red uniform does too and she takes a moment to look me up and down before raising her eyebrow and smirking at me. I suddenly feel very self conscious about my animal print sweater and short plaid skirt. I never pictured myself as someone pretty; I'm short, I have a big nose and meek brown hair and eyes. Most people don't even seem to notice I exist.

"Look honey!" Daddy says enthusiastically as he points to a poster on the cork board in front of the principals office. "There's a glee club at this school! Oh, sweetie pie, that's just perfect for you."

"Glee club?" a loud voice says from inside the principals office. A tall blond woman wearing a blue track suit stands up and gives me a dirty look. She shakes her head, "oh, don't join the glee club. You surely look smart enough to know that. Glee club is just a-"

"Enough Sue!" an frustrated voice yells from behind the lady. "The glee club is a great club." He stands up from his chair and motions for us to come in to the office. He's a young teacher with brown, curly hair and a nicely ironed blue vest.

"Welcome to McKinley," the man says sticking out his hand. "My name is Mr. Schuester, I'm the Spanish teacher as well as the glee club director. I heard you seem interested in the glee club, we'd really love it if you could join. We definitely need some more members." I shake his hand and smile.

"I'd love to join, when are auditions?" I ask.

"Um, well if you're not too busy you can audition today at lunch in the auditorium? Everybody gets in but we like to hear everybody's voice before you join so.."

"That should be fine," I answer. "Lunch would be great, thank you."

"Alright! I'll see you then!" he says, looking much too excited for a single new member in a club.

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Lunch comes by quickly and I couldn't be more pleased. My classes were fine and were much easier than my old school but it's a bit sad when there's nobody to talk to. I'm used to being alone but now that I'm new I feel more out of it than usual. But things like that don't bother Rachel Berry- I won't let it. I head straight towards the auditorium, feeling slightly relieved that I have something to do at lunch today and the bathroom stall won't be needed (eating alone in the bathroom stall has been a reoccurring problem). I already know what song I am going to sing, it's my back up song for all occasions like this. You see, I am always _always_ prepared. I feel that it is very important that I keep this as a habit of mine because who knows if something unexpected happens during my Broadway performance in the future? When I enter the auditorium I realized that not only is Mr. Schuester sitting in the audience but so were some kids, who I presumed to be the glee club kids. I couldn't be more excited. I certainly love an audience.

"Hello, my name is Rachel Berry and today I'll be singing Don't Rain On My Parade," I announce.

"Great, let's hear what you've got," Mr. Schuster says in to the small microphone. I nod.

Don't tell me not to live,  
>Just sit and putter,<br>Life's candy and the sun's  
>A ball of butter.<br>Don't bring around a cloud  
>To rain on my parade!<br>Don't tell me not to fly-  
>I've simply got to.<br>If someone takes a spill,  
>It's me and not you.<br>Who told you you're allowed  
>To rain on my parade!<br>I'll march my band out,  
>I'll beat my drum,<br>And if I'm fanned out,  
>Your turn at bat, sir.<br>At least I didn't fake it.  
>Hat, sir, I guess I didn't make it!<br>But whether I'm the rose  
>Of sheer perfection,<br>Or freckle on the nose  
>Of life's complexion,<br>The cinder or the shiny apple of its eye,  
>I gotta fly once,<br>I gotta try once,  
>Only can die once, right, sir?<br>Ooh, life is juicy,  
>Juicy, and you see<br>I gotta have my bite, sir!  
>Get ready for me, love,<br>cause I'm a commer,  
>I simply gotta march,<br>My heart's a drummer.  
>Don't bring around a cloud<br>To rain on my parade!

"Wow." Mr. Schuester looks stunned. A boy wearing a very bright shirt with a hippo brooch is wiping his eyes frantically and yells "BRAVO!" a little too loud and an Asian girl and a boy in a wheelchair keep glancing at each other with big, bulging eyes. These were expected responses (I nailed it), but still flattering.

"When do rehearsals start?" I ask.

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Two weeks of school goes by in a blur. I go to every single glee club meeting and have also joined six other clubs to make sure I have an impressive resume for college. But out of all my clubs I definitely enjoy Glee Club the most. I've only been in there for a couple of week and yes, maybe some of them seem to hate me and my talent but I've also made some friends. At lunch, I eat with Tina and Artie and they have been very sweet. I think Tina might have a crush on Artie but Artie doesn't seem very interested. Anyway, Flinn Hudson (or was it Finn?), hasn't been bothering me ever since I last saw him. I pour myself a glass of mineral water and head upstairs to do my room to practice some vocal runs. Sectionals for glee club is coming up soon and if I don't get the solo, there _will_ be some major issues. I drop my glass of water as I entered the door. No, not because I'm clumsy (_please_) but because there was someone in my room. Finn Hudson was standing in front of my window again, just like the very first time I saw him.

"Excuse me!" I huff. "I thought I told you to leave." Finn glances back at me and smiles a very lopsided and adorable smile and I curse myself for even _thinking_ that.

"Yeah," he says scratching his head, "Sorry about that, I just never did.." he mumbles. I take a second for his words to sink in. Wait, _never_ did?! Oh my god.

"Have you been living in my room!" I yell in panic.

"Oh, what? No! I mean, not really. Just on the roof outside your window," he says. "I can hear you sing sometimes though, you have a really great voice...I think you can make it on Broadway someday."

"You've been listening to me sing?" I ask, suddenly more intrigued and flattered by his complement than I was mad.

"Yeah..yeah, I hope you don't really mind me being here. It's just I have no where else to go and I feel like I'm supposed to stay here you know? Aren't ghosts supposed to stay where they died?" he asks.

"Well, not really..I mean yes, until a mediator comes to you and can help you out but how am I supposed to help you if you don't know what I can help you out with?"

"Well, I suppose that's true," he says with a sad sigh. He sits on to the small bench next to the window and covers his face with his hands.

"Ugh," he groans in to his hands. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Well," I say awkwardly sitting next to him. I gently place my hand on his shoulder and he tenses up but doesn't make me move it so I keep it there. I can feel his hard muscles beneath his shirt and now I feel a bit uncomfortable. Should I move my hand or is that more awkward? "I mean you can stay here for a bit longer." Okay, where the hell did that come from? I did _not_ mean to say that. "B-but not in my bedroom of course! Just out on the roof or something, that's fine." I say in a rush.

"Really?" He seems surprised and looks at me with those beautiful hazel eyes, so full of hope, and smiles. His cute lopsided smile. How can I say no now? I nod hesitantly and he grins even wider, causing my stomach to flip flop.

"I don't think I was able to fully introduce myself," he says. "My name is Finn Hudson, I'm eighteen, well, I died when I was eighteen. I'm really about 133 years old. I died in 1879 when there was a shooting at this hotel, and ever since then I have been haunting this building. This is my first time ever meeting someone who can actually see me so it's very nice to meet you."

"Oh, well nice to meet you too," I say shaking his hand. "Um, I already told myself about you right? Rachel Berry, sixteen, junior, future Broadway star.." He chuckles at my last comment.

"What's so funny?" I ask.

"You're very sure of yourself aren't you? You just seem awfully prideful about your talent."

"Well," I argue. "I know I'm talented. I've been winning in singing and dancing competitions since I was two." He laughs again.

"That's intense," he says. I grin.

"I have a question," I ask curiously. "How do you know how to speak so...modernly? I usually have a difficult time understanding when talking to century old ghosts but you seem to speak fine."

"Well, unlike most ghosts, I haven't really been spending my time searching for people like you," he answers honestly. "I mean even if I do meet a mediator, what do I do? I don't know what's holding me back and so I just float around here on Earth instead and I try t keep up with everybody. Things have really changed."

"Yeah, I'm sure it has," I say with a laugh. "Do you prefer the old days or today?" I ask.

"Definitely today. I mean we didn't have.." and he rambles on about that for a while, and I really have to say that I enjoy talking to Finn. We keep talking and I find myself actually having fun and laughing until I realize that the sun is going down and it's almost nine. We've been talking for _five_ hours. My dads are busy today so they told me to make dinner on my own and I even completely forgot about that!

"Oh my," I cry. "Look at the time! I really have to do homework and eat dinner," I say. He frowns.

"I really enjoyed talking to you Rachel," he says with his lopsided grin. I can feel my cheeks heat up.

"Yes, yes me too Finn. Um, I'll see you soon?" I ask. He nods.

"I'll be here whenever you want to talk."

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I honestly missed talking to Finn for the rest of the night. Yes, technically he was only a couple feet away from me on the roof but it's not like we were talking right now. And talking to him was really _really_ nice. He mostly talked about how different everything is now compared to the past and how he hasn't talked or touched anyone until that day I met him two weeks ago. And then he put his hand on mine and said he missed the feeling. I don't think I was breathing for that whole minute. When he let go of my hand, my heart was beating so fast I didn't think I would be able to keep up with it. I shake my head and force myself to take my mind off of him. I grab my ipod and earphone and quietly sang along to my mix of Celine Dion songs as I slowly finished my homework.

That night, I hear somebody humming along to the tune of Celine Dion's _It's All Coming Back To Me Now_ on the wall outside my window. I smile. This time I knew it wasn't my imagination.

It was Finn.

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That's it for chapter 2! I really meant to post earlier than this but I didn't and I'm sorry for that. I do also already have chapter 3 written so hopefully I'll remember to post that quickly. I know that Rachel Berry is like extreme-high-maintenance-season-one-Rachel Berry but that never really bothered me too much, I thought she was more interesting and intriguing than annoying anyway. If it does bother you, you should know that she _does_ become much calmer and less self-centered by the end of this fanfic! I think that's why Finn and Rachel are so perfect for each other. They both made each other a better person and they loved each other and all their flaws. Please review lovelies! Lots of love, finchelfeelings


	3. Chapter 3

Pleased to find more people interested! Thank you for your lovely reviews :) Here's a super quick update, I hope you enjoy.

Finn laughs loudly as I finish telling him about the time when I was a little girl and a boy gave me my first love letter- only to have it returned to him with all his grammatical errors circled and fixed.

"It's so embarrassing," I cry, hiding my face with my hands. He laughs again and nudges me with his elbow. I keep my face hidden with my hands so he won't see that I was blushing. Over the last month we've gotten to be quite comfortable around each other. He never flinches when I touch him anymore and in fact, he often nudges me playfully or occasionally even tickles me when I'm spacing off.

"That sounds like you," he says with a chuckle. I smile. It made me feel good when I was able to make him laugh or smile.

"So, how's high school?" he asks after a brief second.

"High school?" I ask. We've never talked about school before. "It's fine I guess."

"Are you seeing anybody special?" he asks with a grin. My heart beat suddenly speeds up and I have no idea why.

"No, of course not. You know that I spend most of my time with you. And plus, most guys at my school just think I'm annoying and ugly," I say truthfully. He seems a little surprised by my last comment and stares at me.

"Rachel, you're beautiful," he says. I shrug, turning away so he can't see my red face. He then grabs my shoulder and turns me towards him. I keep my gaze on the floor, too embarrassed and self-conscious to look at his face, but he grabs my chins and forces me to lock eyes with him. "Rachel, you _are_ beautiful," he repeats. My heart is pounding so hard I wouldn't have been surprised if it jumped right out of my chest. "And you can be a bit intense sometimes," he laughs, "but you're just really driven and smart and I think.. I think that you are really amazing and talented." I inhale sharply and stare at him speechlessly. We keep staring at each other for a while until he lets go of my chin and turns away.

"And I think that you are a great friend," he finishes. My heart suddenly drops with disappointment. _**Friend**_. Of-course! Why should I be expecting anything else? I can't possibly be falling for a dead guy. Oh god, I really can _not _be falling for a ghost.

"R-right," I stutter. "You're a great friend too." He smiles and then just disappears out the window, the cool summer breathe flooding my room and causing me to shiver.

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Finn hasn't visited me in almost two weeks. I left him a message on the roof but he's never up there anymore and the note I left is still untouched. I can't help but be mad at him for ignoring me for more than a week now without a single good-bye. What did I do?

"Rachel," Artie says wheeling up to me as I enter the choir room.

"Hi Artie," I say.

"So, um I was wondering if maybe you wanted to come to a party this weekend?"

"You're throwing a party?" I ask, sounding surprised.

"Oh, no no." he says fixing his glasses on his nose and grinning shyly. "My girlfriend Brittany is though and I just wanted to make sure some of my friends were going to be there just in case it gets awkward and I have no one to talk to and then it'll just be-"

"Wait, you're dating Brittany? The cheerleader?" I ask.

"Yes," he says proudly. "We bonded when I was trying to teach her the alphabet."

"Oh..well, okay I guess. I mean I don't have any other plans. Is Tina coming?"

"Uhh, well I asked her but she got mad and walked away," he says quietly. Rachel nods understandingly. She knew how much Tina liked Artie, it must have only hurt when he asked her to come to his girlfriend's party.

"Alright, that's fine. I'll be there."

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"Where are you?" Artie asks from the other line. I can hear people screaming and singing in the background.

"I'll be there in a couple minutes," I promise. "It took me a while to convince my dads if I can go to a party but they thought it was a good opportunity for me to bond with my peers or whatever. Ugh, what am I supposed to wear?!" I ask Artie.

"I don't know!" he cries. "All the other girls are wearing super short shorts and tank tops or really tight dresses...some of them don't even have a shirt." he says, whispering the end. I roll my eyes. Now I really wasn't sure if this party was a good idea. "Okay, well I'll have to look through my closet but I'll be there in like ten minutes. I promise." He agrees and hangs up. Okay, now what to wear.. I look through my sweater and plaid skirts and decided on a white fit and flare dress. It's probably not what everyone else is wearing but I decided that it was probably going to be the most party appropriate outfit I have. I also grab a vintage lace cardigan to wear on top in case it gets cold. After all, you need to always be prepared. I take out my hair that was tightly wrapped in to a bun and let it down so that it would flow down my back in beachy waves. I quickly fix my bangs and apply a bit of makeup before heading out.

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Brittany's house is huge. The house is jam packed with people chugging down beer and grinding against one another.

"Artie!" I call out as I push through the mass of people. A group of boys and girls only wearing their underwear comes running down the hall and pushes me down.

"Artie!" I yell again. A hand touches my shoulder and I turn around thinking it was Artie but a pair of pale hazel eyes stare back at me instead. The guy lifts and yanks me against the wall in one quick motion and I yelp in pain.

"Sssh," the guy whispers to me, one of his hands on my shoulder pressing me up against the wall and the other holding a red plastic cup. He was clearly drunk.

"Let me go," I say in a strong voice (even though I was secretly super scared). He flips his curly brown hair and grins a wide, white smile. Okay, super creepy.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he slurs. "I just want to kiss you."

"Okay, no you can _not_ kiss me," I say madly. "This is sexual harassment!" I scream, kicking at him. Unfortunately, he has a _very_ strong grip.

"Shut up," he slurs before meeting my neck with his lips. I keep kicking and hitting him but now he has both his hands clutching mine and his body is completely pressed up against my own on the wall that I can't even move. I close my eyes and I just pray that this will all be over soon. Suddenly, the body pressed up against mine is flung across the room and the drunk boy with curly brown hair is lying on the floor. Completely still.  
>And Finn is standing right in front of me.<p>

"Finn!" I scream. "Did you just throw him across the room?" I cry.

"I was just helping you," he says softly.

"Is he dead?" I ask as I walk past him and to the crowd of people surrounding the boy.

"No," a girl replies. "He's just out of it. He should be awake soon..." The other kids nod in agreement and an awkward silence fills the room.

"...Let's party!" a boy wearing a hockey uniform yells as he pumps his hand in the air. The music starts playing again and the kids start dancing up against each other once more. I, however, was no longer in the mood to party so I took out my bedazzled cell phone and sent a short text message to Artie saying that I came but was now leaving. I walk out the door and like I suspected, Finn is standing on the porch.

"Sorry," he mumbles. I quickly walk away, ignoring him. He stays up with me though and walks behind quietly. I sigh.

"What do you want?" I groan.

"I couldn't just stand there and do nothing Rachel." he says strongly.

"Oh, why?" I ask in an annoyed voice. "I mean, you've done nothing for the last two weeks! You didn't answer any of my messages on the roof, you've been completely ignoring me and then suddenly at some stupid cheerleader's house party, you show up and you fling a kid across the room and cause a scene?!"

He sighs. "You needed my help in there Rachel."

"Uh, no Finn. I didn't," I say stubbornly. "I am a strong woman and I don't need some ghost _stalking_ me and showing up randomly to help me! I can deal with things myself and you are just a burden in my life."

"I'm sorry Rachel. I shouldn't have done that and...and I promise that I'll leave you alone from now on," he says. I want to tell him not to go and just stay here and talk to me but instead I nod. "It's better off this way anyway," he says. "I'll... um, I'll miss you," he says. I really want to cry right now but I look away and stare at the sidewalk. I feel him standing there for a couple seconds, hoping that I'll look up at him or _something_ but I don't. And when I finally have the nerve to look up, he's already gone.

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By the time I get home, I'm just so exhausted and tired I don't even bother taking off my make up or changing and I simply just flop in to bed. I feel like crying because I know that I'll never get to see or talk to Finn again but I decide to stay strong and push my feelings away because Rachel Berry doesn't cry over boys, especially one who's already dead. I keep repeating that to myself as I close my eyes and hope that at least my dreams will be better than reality. Suddenly, I feel something cold touch my skin and I tense up in surprise. I open my eyes to see a pair of very pretty green eyes staring back at me. Her elegant blond curls fall over her face and she pushes it back behind her ears with her left hand.

Because currently her right hand was busy holding something else.

A knife, to be more specific.

A knife that was being held up against my throat.

…...

I will hopefully update the next chapter very soon! xx finchelfeelings


	4. Chapter 4

Another quick update! And on top of that, this was originally two chapters but I combined it in to one because why not? Thank you for your sweet reviews, it is the only reason why I am updating so quickly! Looots of stuff happening in this chapter, I hope you enjoy!

(f&r) (f&r) (f&r)

"You bitch.." the pretty lady with the green eyes says in a raspy whisper as she presses the blade against my throat. I wince in pain.

"Who are you?" I say madly. I sure hope I sounded braver than I felt. She glares at me and then drops the knife from my throat and paces across the room. I let out a silent sigh of relief. She stops pacing and looks at me, a cruel snicker escaping her lips and making me shiver.

"So I guess your BFF Finn didn't tell you about me did he?" she says as she swings the knife between her fingers. I shake my head no and she smirks. She's suddenly right in front of me. Her face only a couple inches away from my face.

"I'm his fiancée!" she spits in my face. "And you, bitch is ruining everything! We were supposed to work things out and then a stupid, young girl like you distracts him and you're just messing _everything_ up!" She screams, her face flushed red with fury.

"Well, there's nothing to worry about anymore," I argue more confidently this time. "We agreed to never see or talk to each other again." She raises her eyebrow questioningly and I simply nod. "So please leave me alone and go work out your own problems with your stupid, _stupid_ fiancée. I don't care," I say as I slid back under my covers. The next couple seconds happened incredibly fast- she yanked me out of my bed and flung me clear across the room. My body hits the wall in a loud thud and I collapse to the ground. I feel numb for a while and I'm dizzy, everything is a blur. I wonder if I'm dead. I gasp when I feel the cool blade of a knife against my throat and I can feel the thick blood slowly trickling down my neck..and _then_ I feel the pain. Okay, so at least I'm not dead.

"I don't think so..." she mumbles between her tightly clenched teeth. "I need to make sure you won't bother us again." She holds up her knife and I realize that I really _am_ going to die tonight. I close my eyes. I try to think of something important and special before I die but my mind just goes back to Finn. _God damn it, Finn._ I know he promised he'll never see me again but oh how I needed him. _Especially_ now. I wait a couple more seconds for the knife to plunge in to me and kill me, but nothing happens. I slowly crack open my eyes, surprised to see the lady is gone. I sit up quickly to make sure that I am alone.. but I'm not. There's somebody else here and it wasn't the lady- it was Finn.

"Finn?" I ask. "What-...I just...I..I thought you...that...where is...I-"

"Sssh," he whispers cutting me off with a finger against my lip. I'm not thinking very clearly and I don't really understand what's going on, so I just keep quiet and I let him pick me up in his arms and carry me in to my bed. He lays me down very gently and helps me under the cover. He then rests my head on top of two sturdy pillows and orders me not to move. I promise him I won't and then he's gone. But after a couple of seconds, he's back and he's holding a first aid kit. He tells me to lay my head back, so I do. And then I close my eyes and I let him work on the cut on my throat. After a couple of minutes he whispers to me very calmly that he is done. He stands up and I realize he is about to leave again and so I grab his wrist in a rush.

"Don't go," I manage to croak out. He shakes his head and opens his mouth to argue. "Please," I beg. "Just not yet. Don't go yet." I seem to be able to convince him because he sits down on a chair next to my bed.

"How did you.." I choke out. "How did you know?" He gives me a very confused look and acts almost surprised.

"You called for me Rachel," he states simply. And then _**I**_ give him a very confused look and I act surprised because I didn't. I didn't call for him.

"No," I says shaking my head. (which didn't really work because my neck really hurt.) "No, I didn't." I stare at him and he stares at me. And for a second everything just seems so small. It's just him and me and the night sky.

"Well, I heard you," he says breaking the silence. "I heard you very distinctly." I don't know how to reply because I don't know _how_ he heard me or how he knew I was thinking of him. How I was thinking of how much I needed him. I'm getting very tired and my eyelids feel heavy so I let myself close my eyes and try to sleep. It feels much easier to fall asleep when I know Finn is there next to me, still holding my hand. I'm not quite sure if this actually happened but I faintly remember him kissing my forehead before I fell asleep. I wish I wasn't so tired so I could know for sure.

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He's not there when I wake up and it almost makes me wonder if all of last night's event was just a dream. My sore body and patched up neck tells me otherwise though and I feel slightly relieved. I hope he doesn't keep his promise of never seeing me again because he already broken it anyway. My neck feels a bit better; he did a really good job of fixing it. Unfortunately, I'm forced to wear a turtle neck sweater in order to cover up the cut but I don't really mind. I love sweaters. Especially if they have cats on them.

"Hey, what happened at the party?" Artie asks as he rolls up to my locker.

"Oh, I just..I didn't fit in I guess," I say with a shrug.

"I heard a rumor that you flung Jesse across the room," he says. So, Jesse was the boy's name. I try my best to fake a laugh.

"You think I could fling a big, muscular boy across a room? Do you know me at all?" I ask jokingly. Artie laughs and agrees. _Thank god. _He then asks me why I'm wearing a turtle neck sweater when it's still decently hot outside. I shrug again and he seems to be okay with that. He wears a lot of sweaters too.

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When I get home, Finn still isn't there. I try to practice singing because it's usually the only thing that calms me down, but now that my throat is injured, it's rather painful. I decide to just wait until my neck feels better before I sing again. A couple hours pass by and since I've already finished all my homework, I don't really know what to do. I thought of going running on my elliptical but my whole body still hurts from being flung across the room. I really just wanted to talk to Finn and try to understand what happened last night. He doesn't come though. And then I remembered how he came last night when I thought to myself that I needed him. So I do it again. And sure enough he's suddenly in my room.

"Rachel?" he asks in a frightened voice. "What happened? What's going on?" I can't help but smile at how scared he is for me.

"Nothing Finn, I just wanted to talk to you," I reply. He looks nervous but nods anyway. I motion him to come six next to me on the window seat. He walks up to me and notices I'm wearing a turtle neck. He frowns sadly.

"Can I..." he says in a hardly audible voice. "Can I see?" He's pointing to my neck. I nod and I pull my sweater down so he can see the bandaging on my throat. He steps in closer to me and my heart begins to race again. "Ouch," he whispers. He lightly traces the bandaging with his fingers and then looks up at me with this really intense look. "I am so sorry Rachel," he says. "I can't believe Quinn would do such a thing. I promise I won't let-"

"Quinn?" I ask. He stops talking. "Is that your fiancées name? Quinn?" He looks down at the ground, looking almost ashamed.

"_**was**_ my fiancée," he corrects. I didn't know if I should ask, because he looked kind of upset, but I thought I probably deserved to know since she tried to kill me and all.

"Would you mind telling me what happened?" I ask. He looks at me again with that really intense and serious look and I wonder if I should be scared. I'm never scared of Finn though, he is the most caring person I know.

"It's a long story," he says. I nod. "Well...okay then. I'll start from the very beginning. You see, Quinn and I dated for a very long time. Our families knew each other well and everything just seemed right. I asked her to marry me one day and she said yes. Just like I thought she would. We started living together and we planned our wedding and everything. Then one day after I came back from working at the ranch, she came up to me and told me she had a surprise. She was pregnant. I was absolutely delighted and I told her I love her and she told me she loves me too. Everything seemed good. Then the wedding day came and in the morning I heard Quinn and somebody arguing loudly from the kitchen. It was Quinn and my best friend Noah. Quinn was crying really hard and Noah was screaming at her; so I yelled at him to leave my soon-to-be-wife alone. He then laughed and laughed and told me about the truth. That Quinn's baby isn't actually mine but is his. And how Quinn always came to his house everyday when I was working at the ranch and would...fool around. The worst part was that Quinn just stood there in the back and didn't deny anything. I begged and begged her to tell me this was all a lie but she just looked at me, tear tracks running down her cheek, and said sorry. I broke up with her then and there and the wedding was canceled. That night I packed my bags and rode my horse all the way out of town and I just kept riding and riding... But then, it soon got dark and I knew I needed to stop. So I stopped by the closest hotel, which happens to be this very building in Lima, Ohio. That night there was a shooting here and I got shot. Ever since, I've been haunting this place."

"Wow," I say after he finishes. "I'm sorry about everything you had to go through Finn," I say sincerely.

"I'm not really. I mean if Noah didn't come in that day, I would have gotten married to Quinn. And she would have probably continued cheating on me. I'm glad I got out of that relationship." He hesitates for a second and then looks at me, "And plus if I never left and didn't die here, I would have never met you." My heart is beating fast and I'm pretty sure my face is bright red but I pretend that his comment didn't have a great effect on me and I look away. Why does he always have to say stuff like that?

"How is school?" he asks, obviously changing the subject.

"Good," I answer. "There's a school talent show coming up. I think I might sing."

"Might? You'll have to! You will win for sure!" He says enthusiastically.

"No, I know that I'll win. But it's kind of painful to sing right now."

"Is it because of what Quinn did?" he asks.

"Maybe," I answer truthfully. He looks at me sadly. "Finn, she is going to come back you know?" He seems to be frightened about this thought but nods. "She's going to come back and try to kill me again. She said I was bothering you guys and your plans but...wait, how are you two..?"

"Quinn came to me. Just about a week before you moved in here. She uh died when she was giving birth to her child and she said she's been looking for me since then. She has this...idea. You see, she can be a bit crazy some times and like most other ghosts who have been...floating around here for longer than two centuries- she had given up on all hope that she could ever move on. So she changed her mind. She learned somewhere that there's this weird voodoo thing you can do to bring us..back to life." I raise my eyebrow. "I know, I know. It's ridiculous," he concludes.

"That's an awful idea," I reply. "It's not only ridiculous but very dangerous. You can't mess with stuff like that Finn."

"I know and I told Quinn to leave me alone because I realized how terrible it was. I'm not going to do it."

"Good," I say with a nod of approval. "And I promise you that we will figure this all out. I'm a mediator and I have never failed my job. I promise you that I will be able to let both you and Quinn to move on to your next life or whatever." He smiles at me.

"Okay," he says. "But you young lady need to go to sleep now!" He quickly picks me up and throws me over his shoulder. I laugh and I kick at him to let me go, although I didn't mind at all. He drops me on to the bed.

"Good night Rachel," he says.

"Good night Finn," I say reply. "Wait," I say in a rush, scared that he might disappear before I could finish. "Where are you going?"

"Just outside your window," he says. I grin. "Sleep tight, Rachel."

(f&r) (f&r) (f&r)

"You still haven't _actually_ sang for me you know?" Finn says, nudging me with his shoulder. We sit side by side on the wooden floor in my room, our backs lying against the bed. I try to stay relaxed, reminding myself that he's just a friend(and also dead), but the fact that we're sitting so close to each other doesn't seem to be able to slow my racing heart.  
>"Yes, I know," I answer. "But you're going to come see me win at my talent show right?" He smiles.<p>

"Yes, of course," he says, turning towards me with that adorable lopsided grin, making my stomach do somersaults. "But I'm special right? You should give me an exclusive performance." I blush a very deep red at the thought of him thinking that he is special in my life, which of course he is.

"Too bad," I say. "You'll just have to wait." He sighs dramatically and pouts like a little boy.

"Do you know what song you're going to sing yet?"

"Actually, no" I answer. "I mean, I obviously have many choices, but I'm still deciding on what song will best express my feelings. It needs to be perfect." He nods.

"Well, I'm excited," he says with a grin. I can't help but grin back and scoot in a bit closer to him.

"Have you talked to Quinn?" I ask. It's almost been a month since the night of the incident, but he shakes his head no.

"I haven't seen her since that night. I just..I have this really bad feeling that she is...I don't know..planning something.." He glances over at me nervously. "But you have nothing to worry about Rachel. I will keep you safe. I won't let her touch you. I promise you." And he's staring at me so deeply I have to look away.

"I know...but I'm prepared this time, Finn. I can take care of myself too. I've been a mediator my whole life."

"I know that Rachel," he says almost sounding a bit frustrated, "but you can't underestimate her. She's unbelievably strong and cruel, much too strong for a human. Ghosts are much more powerful than humans Rachel."

"But this is a battle I need to fight too Finn," I say stubbornly. He shakes his head disapprovingly. "You might think I can't handle this Finn but I can! I've fought ghosts before you know!"

"Rachel, please just don't get involved in this one. Just _please_," he begs. I don't respond and he sighs, lying his head against the mattress frustratingly.

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I slam my locker door shut and jolt up in surprise at the cold touch on my shoulder. I immediately whirl around to see who it is.

"Hello there, miss Rachel," the familiar face says as he shakes his curly brown hair to the side. "How are you today?"

"I'm sorry, but I really would not like to talk to the man who sexually harassed me at a party. I think it's best if we never talk to each other" I say, holding my book tight to my chest and walking away. He quickly catches up to me though and stands in front of me.

"I'm sorry about that. I was drunk and things just got...out of control. Please just allow me to introduce myself." He smiles when I don't say anything to stop him. "Jesse St. James," he says holding out his hand. I hesitantly take his hand and he shakes it firmly. "I wanted to talk to you.." he says and looks around the hall way, as if to make sure nobody was listening. He leans forward very closely, his lips lightly grazing my ear, "about our special...'_gift'_," he finally says. I inhale sharply. He keeps his lip touching my skin for a little while longer than necessary, his hot breath heating my skin. He backs away from me and smiles mischievously. "Talk to you after school? Perhaps in front of the main school entrance?" When I don't respond due to the fact that I was still shocked, he grins even wider and winks at me. "See you then, beautiful," he says and walks away.

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He is standing at the top of the stairs when I get there. His tight leather jacket hugging his buff arms as he crosses them in front of his muscular chest. I feel slightly self conscious and I pull down my short pleated skirt.

"Ah, hello there Rachel Berry," he says with a sly grin.

"Hello Jesse," I respond. He motions me to follow him and so I do. He leads me to his car.

"I think we should talk about this in private," he says. "My house is very big and beautiful. Shall we go there?" _To his house? That sounds like a terrible idea_, I think. As if he was able to read my mind he says, "Oh, don't be shy. I just think we need to talk about this. I mean, don't you want to know?" I sigh.

"Fine, let's go," I say buckling myself up.

"Yes, let's go," he repeats and quickly speeds out of the school parking lot.

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Though he sure sounded like an arrogant asshole, his house _actually was_ big and beautiful. Everything was polished and shiny and I felt wrong to even be in there. He takes my shoulder in his hands and steers me up the stairs and in to a room. I think it is the guest room.

"Why can't we just talk downstairs?" I argue. He locks the door and looks at me.

"I don't want our servant, Miranda, to over hear us," he says.

"Well, don't lock the door," I reply. He ignores me and walks to the bed and sits down. He pats the spot next to him and looks at me. I decide to sit in the chair a couple feet away from him. He shrugs.

"So...how do you know about my uh _**gift**_?" I ask. Though it was hardly a gift. Maybe a curse.

"At the party remember? He came. What did you call him? Oh, right. Finn. I know you weren't the one who flung me across the room. That's impossible. It was him, wasn't it?" he asks.

"...so, you can see ghosts too?" I ask. He rolls his eyes and nods.

"Of-course. And I know a lot about your lovely ghost Finn," he says. "I've been doing some research."

"Research?" I repeat. "I don't quite understand what you mean by that."

"Well, first off, I have my own little ghost as well. Named Quinn Fabray...sound familiar?" My jaw drops in shock. He laughs and nods.

"Yes, yes. She seems to hate you rather terribly. Apparently you ruined the plan I had created for the two?"

"Wait, _you_ gave her the idea of the whole coming-back-to-life thing?"

"Well, actually I lied to her. It's this voodoo thing I learned from my grandfather, who was also a mediator, that gets rid of the ghosts. I tell her that it will bring her back to life but really it just gets rid of them for good."

"And you were going to do that to Quinn _and_ Finn?" I ask. He nods.

"You can't!" I scream. "I mean, there's other ways to get rid of her. And I'm willing to figure out the reason why Quinn is still here and try to fix it, like a mediator is supposed to. Look, if you're just tired of her bothering you, then let me take her case. Just please don't do anything to them," I beg. He raises his eyebrow questioningly.

"Why? That Quinn girl is a total bitch to you. She wants to fucking kill you," he says. I nod, but I knew that if Jesse is able to convince Quinn and if she is able to convince Finn, I would lose him for good and I wasn't quite sure if I could live with that.

"Just don't," I beg. "And also please don't ever try and get in contact with Finn. I don't want you to mess this up any more than you already have." He shrugs and walks up to me.

"I like you Rachel," he says, stroking my hair. "You're...different. You're a lot like me actually. In fact, we're very much alike."

"I don't think so," I argue. "I don't thin-"

But I didn't get to finish my sentence because right in the middle of it, Jesse leans over and kisses me. I push him away quickly.

"Awh, come on," he says loudly. "Why not? Don't you think we'll make a great couple? I mean, we've both got this special gift...this _secret power_." I ignore him and I quickly grab my backpack and lunch box. "Ohhhh," he says as if suddenly realizing something. "You like him, don't you?" I freeze. _What the hell..._ "The ghost? What's his name? Finn?" He chuckles to himself and walks towards me. "Yes, I think Quinn told me about something like that a while ago. That's too bad, isn't it? He's **dead** Rachel. You can't fall for a dead guy. You should just give up now sweetie. You're foolish if you think that he will ever take a chance on you, he's hopefully smarter than that. You're just an ugly, stupid girl who has a crush on a ghost who will never love you because he is just using you for your powers." I turn the knob to his door, unlocking it, and I run out in a rush.

I was hardly able to keep my sob under control before I stumbled out of his house.

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It was dark by the time I got home. Thank god my dads don't come home every night until about twelve. They would totally freak if they figured out I walked home from a random boy's house more than 10 miles away alone in the dark.

When I entered my room, Finn was seated quietly in my chair, silently staring at his large hands, his legs shaking nervously. I lightly knock on my door.

"I'm home.." I whisper. He immediately stands up and exhales a long breath as if he's been holding it in the whole time.

"Where were you?!" he yells. "I was worried sick! It's past eleven Rachel! What were yo-" he stops mid sentence. "Rachel.. are you crying?" I turn away quickly to hide my face, but I feel his large hand lightly touch my cheek and turn me towards him. "Rachel, look at me," he says. I turn my body towards him but I keep my gaze at the ground. "Rachel, what happened? Where were you?"

"I...I was at Jesse's," I say quietly. He takes a step closer to me.

"Jesse?" he asks. He hides a piece of hair dangling in front of my face behind my ears. "Who is that?"

"He's the boy you saw at the party," I respond.

"The one who was kissing you?" I nod. "Why?"

"He's a mediator too. He can..you know, see ghosts and stuff like me." Finn looks shocked.

"So, why did you go to his house?"

"He knows Quinn. He was the one who told her about the 'coming back to life' thing. It's all a lie Finn! He's not planning on bringing her back to life, it's all fake! He just wants to get rid of her for good."

"The whole voodoo thing never seemed very plausible, but are you okay? He didn't hurt you right?" he asks. I shake my head no.

"No, he just..he kissed me. But he didn't hurt me. I'm fine," I assure him.

"He kissed you?" I can't really read the expression on his face. "What did you..what did you do?"

"I just pushed him away," I answer. He nods.

"You should have kicked his balls," he says. I laugh.

"Maybe."

"Is that why you were crying? What happened after that?" He says. I'm not quite sure how to respond to that so I stay silent for a minute or two. "What happened?" he asks again.

"I...he um, he realized why I was so afraid of him doing what he had planned for you and Quinn and why I would never like him."

"What did he realize?" he asks, honestly sounding confused. I breathe in deeply.

"He realized that I'm in love with somebody else," I answer. He stares at me for what seemed like eternity and he finally seemed to piece the two information together.

"Rachel..." he says. But he doesn't say anything after that. I look down in embarrassment. _Jesse was right_, I think. _How stupid of me to think that he'll ever take me seriously. Oh god. _"..I think you are amazing Rachel. But I'm...a ghost and I-"

"I know Finn. I'm sorry. It was all in my head. I'm so stupid," I say, walking away from him. "It's just that we've been spending so much time together and you're always so kind and caring and I just feel so _comfortable_ around you. You've always just been there for me. And I really care for you too and I just, I really love spending time with you. But I understand and I-" my voice catches in my throat when I feel his large hands wrap around my tiny wrist and slowly turn me towards him. The room is dead silent. I don't even have the courage to breathe. He takes a step closer to me and all I can hear is the blood rushing through my body. The space between us is quietly closed down to nothing and his lip is on mine. I close my eyes to try to keep and remember this feeling forever. And I know that you can't keep something forever, but in the moment it felt like the world had stopped and everything would just be frozen forever. Of-course nothing is that simple though and he breaks away from the kiss and looks away as if he was ashamed.

"Finn?" I ask nervously. He shakes his head.

"Rachel, I'm sorry. I can't. I can't do this."

"Finn, no, wait- please!" I beg, tears springing to my eyes again. I reach out for his hand, only to find myself grabbing a fistful of thin air. Just like that, he was gone again.

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Finn seems to be keeping his space because I haven't seen in him in the last four days. All I got was a tiny, crumpled note left on my desk the morning after we kissed. It read:

_Rachel-_

_I'm sorry for everything. I shouldn't have kissed you. I care about you, more than anything I have ever cared about in many, many years. But I can't risk anything and I am dead Rachel. I am a ghost, I do not live the same life as you. We are from different worlds. I am sorry that I took so much time away from you- you need to be doing other things than hanging out with century old ghosts. I think it might be best for us to keep our distance for a while. I'm sorry._

_-Finn._

I don't think he understands just how awfully painful it is to read a message that consists mostly of apologies of something you've been hoping for forever. And he can't just _kiss_ me and then say we should keep our distance!

Annoyed, I flop on to my bed and I imagine what life would be like if everything weren't so complicated. If I never were a mediator, or if I never moved, or if I never met Finn. But thinking of all that was making me realize that maybe it's all worth it. All this complication is worth it because the truth is I wouldn't want to have it any other way. And I know that Finn is dead and I suppose he has a point, but all I really want to do is spend more time with him. It may be risky and what not, but for Finn, I would take my chance on anything. Because even through all this complication, _he_ is worth it.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The talent show is tonight. I still haven't seen Finn yet. It makes me really upset to think that he might not be here tonight, though I did leave him a message on the roof. I hope he sees it. I flatten out my red sweetheart dress and reapply my lipstick. Just 20 more minutes before I go up. I sit down on a uncomfortable, plastic chair, feeling rather nervous. Not about how I perform, of course. I know I'll do amazing like usual. I just really hope Finn can make it in time to see my performance. I had chosen to sing a personal favorite of mine that I can relate to almost too well. I just want him to listen and hear what I have to say. I wait patiently behind the curtains, watching my fellow classmates perform extremely weird or poorly done performances.

"Rachel Berry?" Ms. Pillsbury, the guidance council who is also in charge of the talent show says. "You're up next." I nod. I feel tempted to go out and look for Finn in the audience, but I'm too afraid of disappointment. Finally, the girl on stage finishes her (awful) rap and I head to the large wooden stage. I skim through the crowd quickly but I can't find him. _Stay positive_, I tell myself. _He's probably here somewhere. _

"Hello, my name is Rachel Berry and I will be singing Celine Dion's Taking Chances," I say confidently. The audience claps and the music begins. I take a deep breath-

_Don't know much about your life.__  
><em>_Don't know much about your world, but__  
><em>_Don't want to be alone tonight,__  
><em>_On this planet they call earth.__You don't know about my past, and__  
><em>_I don't have a future figured out.__  
><em>_And maybe this is going too fast.__  
><em>_And maybe it's not meant to last,__But what do you say to taking chances,__  
><em>_What do you say to jumping off the edge?__  
><em>_Never knowing if there's solid ground below__  
><em>_Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,__  
><em>_What do you say,__  
><em>_What do you say?__I just want to start again,__  
><em>_And maybe you could show me how to try,__  
><em>_And maybe you could take me in,__  
><em>_Somewhere underneath your skin?__What do you say to taking chances,__  
><em>_What do you say to jumping off the edge?_

_Never knowing if there's solid ground below  
>Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,<br>What do you say,  
>What do you say?<em>

And I had my heart beaten down,  
>But I always come back for more, yeah.<br>There's nothing like love to pull you up,  
>When you're laying down on the floor there.<br>So talk to me, talk to me,  
>Like lovers do.<br>Yeah walk with me, walk with me,  
>Like lovers do,<br>Like lovers do.

What do you say to taking chances,  
>What do you say to jumping off the edge?<br>Never knowing if there's solid ground below  
>Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,<br>What do you say,  
>What do you say?<p>

Don't know much about your life  
>Don't know much about your world<p>

The audience claps loudly and cheers, but all I can focus on is looking for Finn. He isn't in the audience. I fake a smile, bow, and left the stage sighing with disappointment.

The rest of the night goes by in a blur. Ms. Pillsbury called back everybody on stage and announced me as winner(as predicted). People congratulated me and I congratulated most of them back, and although I usually love all the attention and compliments, I just wanted to go home and curl up in my bed.

Soon enough, I got in to my car and headed back home. I enter my pitch black room and switch on the lights.

"AH!" I scream as I see the tall figure standing in the middle of the room.

"Sorry," Finn mumbles. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"What are you doing here?" I huff as I walk away from him to my closet, hanging up my coat.

_"_I saw your, uh, performance," he says, "at the talent show."

"You what?" I say spinning around. "I didn't see you! Why didn't you say anything?!"

"You were very good," he says. I roll my eyes, still upset that he didn't reveal himself during the performance. "And great song choice." I freeze.

"That song..," I say, building up my courage. "That song was for you, you know?" I force myself to look directly at him. He doesn't say anything. "I hope you listened carefully because it really means a lot." He nods ever so slightly but doesn't respond. "Look, Finn," I grumble. "If you have nothing to say, then by all means, please leave. It hurts too much," I say walking away from him again. But before I can even make it a foot, Finn grabs my hand and pulls me in to his arms. And then we were kissing. Not like our last gentle, soft kiss but a very passionate and heated kiss.

And this time, no one broke away.

(f&r) (f&r) (f&r)

That is it for this chapter lovelies! Hope you liked it! I'm sorry if there were mistakes in the writing, I didn't have time to edit it but I wanted to post it by today. Also, I think the lyrics for Taking Chances is incredibly perfect for this story. _And_ it's a Celine Dion song that season one Rachel Berry actually sang on the show. Insane. I don't think I could have written a better song for Finn and Rachel's story here. Unfortunately, I will be incredibly busy in the upcoming weeks, so quick updates will be harder. I will try my best though. Also any thoughts on what should happen next? More angst or more fluff?

Lots and lots of love, finchelfeelings


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